“The dream begins, most of the time, with a teacher
who believes…
who leads you on to the next plateau.” -- Dan
Rather

The Rhyme University dream of establishing a company dedicated
to providing the highest quality graduation products for young
children at the most affordable prices did, indeed, begin with a
teacher’s inspiration.

Leon Olson, founder of Rhyme University, was inspired to design
a kindergarten diploma after visiting his neighbor's home. His
neighbor's daughter had just graduated from kindergarten and
proudly presented to him the diploma she had received earlier
that day. Mr. Olson was immediately struck by the positive
impact this small emblem of achievement could have on young
children’s sense of self-esteem and spirit. In turn, he was also
terribly dismayed to see that this so-called diploma was really
nothing more than a smudgy mimeographed piece of paper, scrawled
with the child's name and tied up with a bow. If early learning
provided the keys to greater success later in life, then the
transition from preschool and/or kindergarten should be marked
with no less importance.

An idea began to take shape in Mr. Olson’s mind that there
should be an award made available to commemorate this important
occasion. Remembering that his neighbor’s child had recited
Mother Goose rhymes when asked to show what she had learned in
school, he designed the first official “kindergarten diploma,”
professionally illustrated with pictures depicting nursery rhyme
characters. Based upon the enthusiastic reception of local
teachers, he founded The National Diploma Co. in November of
1954.

After retiring in 1972, Mr. Olson sold the company, entrusting
its future development to fellow parents and former educators
who continue to follow his dream today. As a tribute to Mr.
Olson’s original inspiration from Mother Goose, the company was
re-christened Rhyme University. In taking the company to the
next plateau, the staff here at Rhyme University works directly
with teachers and parents in the community, listening to their
needs and acting on their suggestions, to expand our product
line. All products come with a Money-Back Guarantee.

At Rhyme University, we believe that we’ve been able to
successfully grow from 121 customers in 1954 to over 20,000
schools worldwide because we have remained true to the original
values upon which Mr. Olson founded the company: a strong
commitment to quality and unsurpassed customer service. Our
mission is to help parents and teachers lead their children “on
to the next plateau” by producing top-quality, affordable
products that recognize and celebrate early academic achievement
and build long-lasting and important memories.

Welcome to the Rhyme University family! We can be reached at
1-877-472-3738.